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69. Engagement – Adventurer’s Journey

The sword Leo received was a plain weapon with neither decorative embellishments nor a cross-guard.

A rough, thick blade that lacked shine. It appeared to have been made a long time ago, mixed with brown hues, but the blade itself was sharp.

Leo stared blankly at the sword for a moment.

Bound Item!

But what does this mean? Does it mean it can be used in other scenarios? Does ‘not destroyable’ mean the sword won’t break? Or does it mean it’s ‘not yet’ destroyed?

And 0/3? What’s that achievement about? Does it mean there are three bound items? No, if that were the case, it should have shown 1/3 the moment I acquired this sword. Could it mean that it can be used until it breaks three times?

[ Achievement: Swordmaster, 2/3 ]

‘This looks oddly similar to the achievement I got with the Swordmaster…’

As Leo struggled to decipher the vague message, his father spoke up.

“This sword once belonged to your mother. It seems it’s time to pass it down to you.”

Noel Dexter said with a faint smile on his face.

“Lena. I’ll give you my sword.”

He handed over his sword to Lena, who was looking at the sword Leo received with envy.

Lena was ecstatic to have received Noel Dexter’s sword, and Noel cleared his throat to regain attention.

“I think your swordsmanship has improved greatly lately, so it’s time for you to venture out. Until now, I’ve been the only one teaching you, but there are many knights on the continent who practice completely different sword styles. Especially Leo, it’s time for you to establish your own swordsmanship, so learning from other knights would be very beneficial.”

Noel was unaware that Leo had acquired the ‘Bart style.’ Leo’s body was still unsteady, so Bart’s style hadn’t yet revealed itself.

Every time he saw his son practicing with a changed grip, he sighed in disappointment.

He understood that Leo had broken through a certain level of swordsmanship but hadn’t yet established his own form, so he was trying various things.

“So, if you’re both agreeable, it seems better to set off for another kingdom, and I believe the Holy Kingdom would be a good option. I spoke with the lord yesterday, and he said he would be willing to provide assistance if you headed to the Holy Kingdom.”

“I’m all for it!”

Lena exclaimed excitedly.

The Holy Kingdom! She had always wanted to meet a special knight called a Holy Knight.

Knights who bore powers transcending the mundane—what techniques would they use? She heard they focused more on martial arts than weapon techniques…

Meanwhile, Leo hesitated for a moment. His father’s suggestion was sudden.

‘Is this an Adventurer’s Journey {event}?’

In several series of the game “Prince Maker,” there was a feature called “Adventurer’s Journey.”

In that game, the female protagonist went outside the city, fighting monsters or bandits under the name of Adventurer’s Journey to earn rewards.

She would sometimes find treasures in treasure chests scattered across the fields and occasionally encounter civilians, whom she could attack to rob money from.

Of course, doing such things often would lead to penalties for the hero’s daughter for killing civilians.

‘But I’d rather go to Aster Kingdom than the Holy Kingdom…’

Realistically speaking, there were only three princes Lena Ainar had a chance to meet on the continent.

Excluding the Holy Kingdom, the kingdoms of the continent, especially Aster and Austin Kingdoms, were despised as barbarian lands.

The three princes were ‘Cleo de Frederick’ from Jerome Holy Kingdom, ‘Anolf de Klaus’ from Austin Kingdom, and ‘Pablo de Klaus’ from Aster Kingdom.

The prince of Austin Kingdom would likely be unavailable for war as he would have already set off.

That left Aster Kingdom and the Jerome Holy Kingdom…

The prince of the Holy Kingdom had overlapping aspects with the childhood friend scenario. If childhood friend Lena were to meet a prince, it would surely be ‘Cleo de Frederick.’

‘…No. It’s impossible for my childhood friend Lena to meet the prince. She’s too perceptive, and it would be hard to keep her together with him.’

Leo thought he had drunk too much from the kimchi soup. It was not the time to discuss overlaps when he couldn’t even judge whether breaking off this engagement was possible.

He also had no justification to refuse the suggestion to go to the Holy Kingdom…

In any case, it was good to be able to set off on an Adventurer’s Journey, so Leo also agreed to his father’s suggestion.

Staying in this castle would lead to nothing happening.

Probably.

*

The next day, Noel Dexter took Lena and Leo to meet the lord.

“Your Lordship.”

“Welcome. So these are the apprentice knights you mentioned, Mr. Dexter.”

The lord of Abrival Castle, ‘Dialo Brina,’ showed quite a notable courtesy to Noel.

Born as the second son of the Brina household, Dialo had lived in Barnau, the capital of Austin Kingdom, and was well aware of Noel Dexter’s reputation.

The Noble Butcher.

Throughout the Nine-Day War, the fiercest power struggles occurred in Barnau, and Noel Dexter was the knight who survived from the start to the end of the civil war.

He was as famous as the Swordmaster Baron Arpen Albasete in the capital.

Technically, his reputation was somewhat inflated…

The reason Noel Dexter could endure in Barnau until the end stemmed not only from his skill but also from his prudent character.

When Noel succeeded in assassinating a noble in Barnau, sometimes his name became known. However, the problem was that when an assassination occurred without anyone knowing who had done it, it was often attributed to him by assumption.

After the war, while rewards and accolades were distributed, the number of nobles he had killed was disclosed to the public.

The number was surprisingly low, but Noel Dexter had already become too famous under the name ‘Noble Butcher.’

Noel spoke politely.

“Yes, this is my son, Leo Dexter, and this is my apprentice, Lena Ainar.”

Lena and Leo bowed in response to his introduction. Dialo Brina also returned the greeting but was taken aback upon seeing Leo.

[ Achievement: Met Anolf de Klaus – Gained weak fondness from all nobles serving the Klaus family. Gained weak fondness from Anolf de Klaus. ]

[ Achievement: Noble Kill – All nobles harbor a slight fear towards you. ]

The young man had just reached adulthood, yet something about his mood felt unusual.

‘Like father, like son…’

Plump Dialo forced a relaxed smile as he guided them to their seats.

He was a noble and a lord, yet born as a second son, he had no inheritance and was destined for a life of idling.

Fortunately, he had been dispatched to Abrival Castle by the king’s command and was very satisfied with his position.

Close enough to the Holy Kingdom, it was a castle where wars were unlikely to erupt. Here, military activities were weak, so there wasn’t much to do.

Except for being constantly pestered by his father, Lord Brina, about how to incorporate Abrival Castle into the family estate, he had no worries at all.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable. I’ve ordered some light refreshments to be brought in.”

“…I don’t know how to respond to your Lordship’s thoughtfulness.”

Noel Dexter said, seemingly burdened by the lord’s hospitality.

He was a knight, not a noble.

But Dialo felt a similar burden. Being the infamous knight who received his surname Dexter for his notable achievements, he couldn’t imagine how surprised he was to hear his name upon being dispatched to Abrival Castle.

“It’s merely a duty for a lord of my stature. Oh, by the way, you mentioned wanting to send your son and apprentice on a journey?”

“Yes. I want them to meet other knights and broaden their horizons.”

“Ah, I’ve heard from the Chief about the monsters you two recently hunted together. Young as you are, it’s clear the fruits of your teaching are evident.”

The two conversed with compliments and humility for a long time, but the conclusion was swift.

“Of course, I shall assist. They will become the pillars of Abrival Castle, or rather, of the Aster Kingdom.”

“Thank you just for your words. Then, what will this assistance entail?”

“I will lend you two horses. Ah, would a carriage be more comfortable? Either way, horses are better, right? Since you mentioned heading to the Holy Kingdom, I will issue you border crossing permits as well.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Lordship.”

As Noel Dexter bowed his head in gratitude, the lord smiled pleasantly.

Being saluted by the renowned knight from Barnau was a proud moment for him.

“Hahaha. It’s the least I can do as a lord. Oh, by the way, you wanted to meet and spar with other knights? Then I have something more to provide.”

Excited, he asked for permission to step away for a moment and quickly returned.

What Dialo Brina presented was a letter. With the lord’s seal stamped on it, it was a certificate declaring that the knights were departing for training to improve their swordsmanship.

“If you take this… Well, it shouldn’t be difficult to meet the lord of the nearest Bidorin Kingdom.”

The Bidorin Castle was a military castle established for purposes related to the Holy Kingdom. It faced Abrival Castle across their border point.

“From there, if you get another certificate from the lord of Bidorin, your journey will be much more convenient. It would be far better than merely seeking out knights randomly.”

“Goodness, you’ve gone to such lengths. Thank you very much, Your Lordship.”

Noel Dexter expressed his gratitude sincerely over and over again.

Dialo declined, saying not to mention it, but it was apparent that he was walking with his chest puffed out in pride.

The tragic civil war brought misfortune to everyone, yet for someone like Dialo, it was unmatched luck.

*

The next day, two horses arrived at the vacant lot behind Lena and Leo’s house.

Since Lena didn’t know how to ride, she had to learn horseback riding from scratch, but she quickly grasped it after grabbing the reins and starting to ride.

[ Achievement: First Horse Riding – Leo’s equestrian skill slightly increases. ]

Having both achievements and prior experience with horse riding during the childhood friend scenario, Leo rode quite well now.

Noel Dexter taught Lena horseback riding while smacking his lips.

‘It’s a shame to send Lena on a journey; she has immense talent…’

Lena was gifted. Even with her less-than-amazing sword skills, she grasped the essence of the swordsmanship Noel taught her.

‘If I just trained her for another year, she could surely elevate her skills. Wouldn’t it be great if she could head out afterward?’

Yet he couldn’t refuse Dehorman’s request.

Dehorman felt uncomfortable that neither he nor his daughter had gone to war.

So, he hoped that Lena would momentarily leave Abrival Castle to do something, and Noel obliged his wish.

Noel half-heard Lena asking Leo, “Why are you so good at this?” while thinking it over.

‘No. It’s better for them to expand their horizons on this journey. They should create some memories before getting married…’

After all, Leo would be there too.

His son, who was rapidly improving, would surely teach her enough. By the time they return, both would have grown significantly.

Noel had no doubts that Leo would take good care of her.

*

A few days later, Lena and Leo packed various cooking utensils, thick blankets, and tents and left Abrival Castle on horseback.

Their quiet journey together had begun.

Lena was full of anticipation for her trip with Leo. While training together in the vacant lot was enjoyable, nothing compared to traveling together.

Surely Leo’s somewhat cold demeanor would thaw during the journey.

However, for some reason, Leo continued not to speak at all since they started traveling. Whenever Lena asked him why, he would dodge the question with vague answers.

As this happened repeatedly, Lena felt miffed and decided, ‘I shouldn’t speak until he does first.’

Shortly thereafter, within just two hours, she said, “Leo, um, you know…”

Despite Lena’s mounting disappointment, their travels continued.

After riding for three days, they were just a day away from the border checkpoint leading into the Holy Kingdom.

The two rode diligently.

– Clippity-clop. Clippity-clop.

Leo felt most at ease while riding like this. It was because Lena was too focused on controlling the horse to talk.

When he glanced back, he saw Lena coaxing her anxious horse.

At that moment, two Eracht suddenly jumped out from the bushes.

Similar to deer, those herbivores could run extremely fast and were generally considered very difficult to catch without traps.

“Whoa! Watch out!”

The pair of Eracht swiftly dashed between Lena’s and Leo’s horses with a whoosh.

– Hi-hihihng!

Startled, Lena’s horse reared up.

Lena fell off the horse.

“Ahh!”

“Lena! Are you okay…?”

Leo exclaimed in shock, stopping his horse. He almost got off to go to Lena but stopped, frozen in place.

For now, it seemed Lena was fine.

She only landed hard on her backside.

“Ouch… That hurt.”

Lena arose, grinning through tears as she rubbed her bottom.

‘Oh… how embarrassing.’

She anticipated Leo would make a fuss and prepared to say that she was okay.

However, Leo remained mounted, staring at her blankly.

Their eyes met.

It made her feel nauseous.

Leo felt queasy, turned his head away to avoid her gaze, and the pair of Eracht that had caused the ruckus had vanished without a trace.

Eracht were known for being a couple for life once they found their mate.